3 Mistakes To Avoid When Power Washing a Brick House

Power washing provides homeowners with an efficient way to clean their properties. However, people with brick homes often hesitate to get power washing services. Although brick is one of the strongest materials to build a house, cleaning it can often be a delicate matter.

Since brick is a porous material, there is the risk of retaining water, which could damage the brick over time. So it’s quite understandable that some people may be hesitant to clean their brick homes with a power washer. But as long as you avoid the mistakes we’ve listed below, you can safely power wash your brick home.

1. High-Pressure Power Washing
   

High-pressure water can be damaging to brick homes. You may not see the damage immediately, but in a few years, you’ll be able to tell the difference. Although the delamination process is slow, it is irreversible, and you may end up needing to replace the crumbling bricks.

So instead of high-pressure power washing a brick surface, you could go with soft pressure washing. Soft pressure washing uses only water with force from 100 to 1500 psi. In comparison, standard garden hoses have a water pressure of around 40 psi, while commercial power washers can go up to 60,000 psi. Soft pressure washing can give you enough pressure to efficiently clean your brick home without damaging it.

1. Using Muriatic Acid
   

People often resort to applying muriatic acid on incredibly dirty surfaces. However, this is a huge mistake when dealing with brick. You see, muriatic acid can dissolve the brick’s outer layer. This can result in a pitted surface that lets the brick absorb more water. If the brick retains a lot of water, it’ll start to crack and crumble, and you may need to replace it altogether.

Aside from muriatic acid, you should also avoid ammonia and toxic chemical cleaners. However, if you really insist on acid-washing brick, it would be best to replace the sealant to prevent the brick from crumbling. You’ll also need to keep it replaced every one to two years.

1. Using a Wire Brush or Power Tools
   

Sometimes, there are just some stains that refuse to be removed. And in these cases, people can often be tempted to remove them by using a wire brush or a cleaning disc attached to a power tool. However, this is not a good idea. Although some cleaning disc brands advertise themselves as a safer alternative to wire brushes, they can still strip the brick’s outer layer and cause damage. So it’s best to go with other cleaning methods to remove a tough stain.

Conclusion

While brick may be considered one of the strongest building materials, it can easily be damaged if you don’t clean it correctly. The porous nature of brick puts it at risk of absorbing and retaining water, making it crumble over time. So, when power washing a brick home, it’s best to be careful not to strip away its outer layer. Some things you need to avoid include high-pressure power washing, acid-washing, and wire brushes and power tools. 

Clean your brick home efficiently and safely with the help of Kingwood All Star Window & Power Washing. We provide window washing, roof cleaning, pressure washing, and power washing services in Kingwood, TX. You can depend on us for results steeped in expertise, including a clear understanding of our customers’ special cleaning requests. Get a free quote now!

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